Fall protection system

Abstract

A fall protection system having a top bracket assembly that is mountable to a top portion of the ladder, a spaced bottom bracket assembly that is mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder, and a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly substantially parallel to a plane bisecting the vertical ladder at a desired distance from the plane.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A fall protection system that is fixedly mountable to a vertical ladder having a pair of spaced vertical legs and a plurality of spaced transversely mounted rungs, comprising:
 a top bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a rung on the top portion of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly comprises:
 an elongated vertical member having a lower portion and an upper portion; and 
 a horizontal member having a proximal portion that is integrally coupled to the upper portion of the vertical member, wherein the horizontal member extends outwardly therefrom the upper portion of the vertical member and defines an interior cavity proximate a distal portion of the horizontal member, wherein a bottom surface of the horizontal member defines a slot that extends substantially vertically in the horizontal member and that is sized and shaped to accept a rung of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly has an inverted J-shape in cross-section; 
 
 a bottom bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder, wherein the bottom bracket assembly comprises:
 a support member; 
 an eye bolt; 
 a horizontal spacing member coupled to a first edge of the support member, wherein the spacing member is positioned is a plane that is substantially parallel to a plane of a rung of the ladder, and wherein the spacing member defines an opening that is configured to operatively accept the eye bolt; 
 a trough member coupled to a proximal edge of the spacing member, the trough member being configured to be receive a rung of a second, displaceable ladder; and 
 a second cable connector operable coupled to the eye bolt, wherein the second cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension; and 
 
 a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly, wherein the cable is operably coupled to the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies under a desired tension load sufficient to space the cable from a plane of the ladder. 
 
     
     
       2. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein fall protection system further comprises a cable guide that is configured to be mountable to a rung of the ladder between the respective top and bottom bracket assembly. 
     
     
       3. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom surface of the horizontal member of the top bracket assembly further defines a port that communicates with the interior cavity of the horizontal member of the top bracket assembly. 
     
     
       4. The fall protection system of  claim 3 , wherein the port of the horizontal member of the top bracket assembly is configured to accept a first cable connector, wherein the first cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. 
     
     
       5. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the lower portion of the elongated vertical member of the top bracket assembly defines an elongated slot that extends substantially vertically and is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is configured to be insertable into the slot to capture a rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the lower portion of the elongated vertical member. 
     
     
       6. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the support member defines a plurality of spaced openings, the plurality of spaced openings defining a first pair of staggered openings and a second pair of staggered openings, the respective first and second pairs of staggered openings being spaced to overlie portions of the spaced vertical legs of the vertical ladder, wherein each of the respective first and second pairs of staggered openings is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is configured to capture a portion of the underlying spaced vertical legs of the vertical ladder rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the support member. 
     
     
       7. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the eye bolt is secured relative to the horizontal spacing member of the bottom bracket assembly by a compression assembly positioned between a least one nut operatively received onto to a threaded end of a shaft of the eye bolt and a bottom surface of the horizontal spacing member. 
     
     
       8. The fall protection system of  claim 7 , wherein the compression assembly comprises a plurality of compression washers that are operatively received onto the shaft of the eye bolt and are configured to compress under a known load. 
     
     
       9. The fall protection system of  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of compression washers comprise compression washers having at least two different load ratings. 
     
     
       10. The fall protection system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of compression washers comprises a first pair of opposed compression washers having a lower load rating that are positioned adjacent a second pair of opposed compression washers having a load rating that is higher than the first pair. 
     
     
       11. The fall protection system of  claim 10 , wherein a washer is positioned between the respective first and second pairs of opposed compression washers and between the uppermost pair of opposed compression washers and the bottom surface of the horizontal spacing member of the bottom bracket assembly. 
     
     
       12. The fall protection system of  claim 1 , wherein the trough member further comprises:
 a first planer member, wherein the first planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the spacing member and extends downwardly away from a juncture of the first planer member and the spacing member at an acute angle β relative to the support member; 
 a second planer member, wherein the second planer member is coupled to a portion of a distal edge of the first planer member and extends outwardly transverse to the first planer member; and 
 a third planer member, wherein the third planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the second planer member and extends transverse to the second planer member. 
 
     
     
       13. The fall protection system of  claim 12 , wherein the first planer member and the third planer member are positioned in planes that are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the trough member has a U-shape in cross-section. 
     
     
       14. A fall protection system that is fixedly mountable to a vertical ladder having a pair of spaced vertical legs and a plurality of spaced transversely mounted rungs, comprising:
 a top bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a rung on the top portion of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly comprises:
 an elongated vertical member having a lower portion and an upper portion; and 
 a horizontal member having a proximal portion that is integrally coupled to the upper portion of the vertical member, wherein the horizontal member extends outwardly therefrom the upper portion of the vertical member and defines an interior cavity proximate a distal portion of the horizontal member, wherein a bottom surface of the horizontal member defines a slot that extends substantially vertically in the horizontal member and that is sized and shaped to accept a rung of the ladder, wherein the top bracket assembly has an inverted J-shape in cross-section; 
 
 a bottom bracket assembly configured to be mountable to a bottom portion of the ladder, wherein the bottom bracket assembly comprises:
 a support member; 
 an eye bolt; 
 a horizontal spacing member coupled to a first edge of the support member, wherein the spacing member defines an opening that is configured to operatively accept the eye bolt; 
 a trough member coupled to a proximal edge of the spacing member, the trough member being configured to be receive a rung of a second, displaceable ladder; and 
 a second cable connector operable coupled to the eye bolt, wherein the second cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension; and 
 
 a cable extending therebetween portions of the top bracket assembly and the bottom bracket assembly. 
 
     
     
       15. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the cable is operably coupled to the respective top and bottom bracket assemblies under a desired tension load sufficient to space the cable from a plane of the ladder. 
     
     
       16. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein fall protection system further comprises a cable guide that is configured to be mountable to a rung of the ladder between the respective top and bottom bracket assembly. 
     
     
       17. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the bottom surface of the horizontal member of the top bracket assembly further defines a port that communicates with the interior cavity of the horizontal member, and wherein the port of the horizontal member of the top bracket assembly is configured to accept a first cable connector, wherein the first cable connector comprises means for grasping an end portion of the cable when the cable is subjected to tension. 
     
     
       18. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the lower portion of the elongated vertical member of the top bracket assembly defines an elongated slot that extends substantially vertically and is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is configured to be insertable into the slot to capture a rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the lower portion of the elongated vertical member. 
     
     
       19. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the support member defines a plurality of spaced openings, the plurality of spaced openings defining a first pair of staggered openings and a second pair of staggered openings, the respective first and second pairs of staggered openings being spaced to overlie portions of the spaced vertical legs of the vertical ladder, wherein each of the respective first and second pairs of staggered openings is configured to accept the ends of a U-shaped coupling device, and wherein the U-shaped coupling device is configured to capture a portion of the underlying spaced vertical legs of the vertical ladder rung of the ladder between the coupling device and the exterior surface of the support member. 
     
     
       20. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the eye bolt is secured relative to the horizontal spacing member of the bottom bracket assembly by a compression assembly positioned between a least one nut operatively received onto to a threaded end of a shaft of the eye bolt and a bottom surface of the horizontal spacing member. 
     
     
       21. The fall protection system of  claim 20 , wherein the compression assembly comprises a plurality of compression washers that are operatively received onto the shaft of the eye bolt and are configured to compress under a known load. 
     
     
       22. The fall protection system of  claim 21 , wherein the plurality of compression washers comprise compression washers having at least two different load ratings. 
     
     
       23. The fall protection system of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of compression washers comprises a first pair of opposed compression washers having a lower load rating that are positioned adjacent a second pair of opposed compression washers having a load rating that is higher than the first pair. 
     
     
       24. The fall protection system of  claim 23 , wherein a washer is positioned between the respective first and second pairs of opposed compression washers and between the uppermost pair of opposed compression washers and the bottom surface of the horizontal spacing member of the bottom bracket assembly. 
     
     
       25. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the spacing member is positioned is a plane that is substantially parallel to a plane of a rung of the ladder. 
     
     
       26. The fall protection system of  claim 14 , wherein the trough member further comprises:
 a first planer member, wherein the first planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the spacing member and extends downwardly away from a juncture of the first planer member and the spacing member at an acute angle β relative to the support member; 
 a second planer member, wherein the second planer member is coupled to a portion of a distal edge of the first planer member and extends outwardly transverse to the first planer member; and 
 a third planer member, wherein the third planer member is coupled to a distal edge of the second planer member and extends transverse to the second planer member. 
 
     
     
       27. The fall protection system of  claim 26 , wherein the first planer member and the third planer member are positioned in planes that are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the trough member has a U-shape in cross-section.